15

The first dinner together with my Grandparents in a while.
The subject of conversation was my breaking off the engagement for some reason.
Let us talk about nicer things.

“Fumu, so Prince Leon has taken a new fiancee and declared his breaking of the engagement, is that so.”
Said Grandfather.

“Ara ara, despite being the one who had desired for it to beginn with, for him to be the one to discard it like than .. what a silly fool.” ^[1]
Said Grandmother.

“I’ll have to express my thanks to him.”
Said Chris-sama.

-er, Chris-sama, your thanks you say.
Are?
By the way we’re talking about the engagement matter completely normally in front of Chris-sama, but is that really alright?
On top of that, what country is Chris-sama from anyway?
Since he came along with my Grandparents is he from the country in the west?

“I currently have Leaf investigate the actions of the Prince.”

“Is that so. In that case we should be getting results about soon.”

Mogumogu.
It’s a topic about me but I don’t have anything in particular to talk about.
Which is why I am investigating all my efforts into continuing to eat the Roast Beef that the head chef has prepared with all his might.
Mogumogu.
Fu~ It’s delicios.
Nh, I can feel a gaze on me.
As I am leisurely moving my sight towards it I end up seeing Chris-sama nikonikoing ^[2] while looking at me.
W-what is it?
Realising that I had noticed his gaze Chris-sama said:

“Ririina’s behaviour of eating with all her might is cute, isn’t it. It holds a different charm from your sword wielding figure. Prince Leon really is wasteful, isn’t he. Ah~ could it be perhaps, that Prince Leon doesn’t know about this side of Ririina?” ⁽¹⁾

Gugu-
That was a close call, something nearly got stuck in my throat.
What is that about being cute!
Saying an embarassing line like that in this place .. just who does he think he is?

Grandfather and Mother were looking at our exchange with a lukewarm expression. ^[3]
Wait a moment!
Don’t look at me like that!
Just what is it with this situation.
I’m feeling an embarassement I hadn’t felt up until now.

In this situation I’ve got no choice but to change the topic of the conversation.
Right, it’s just the right time for something I have been wondering about.

“B-by the way, I do not know what country Chris-sama is a person of, so would you tell me?”

Everyone exchanged glances upon my question.
Have I really asked something that odd?
The atmosphere has gotten even stranger than before.
That said, Grandfather responded.

“Is that so, Ririina didn’t know who he is?”

“That’s true, what Ririina knew only amounts to my name, after all. In fact, until we met today it seems she even thought I was a girl.”

Is what Chris-sama said while nikonikoing.
Hie~, it had been exposed!
Hearing that everyone started laughing.
Yes yes, I was the one at fault.
But no matter how you looked at it, (s)he didn’t look like anything but a goddess.
As I was starting to grow unnerved.

“Haha, if I tease you any more like this I will get hated so I suppose I shall answer you this. You see, I am the third Prince of the Western Country, my name is Christopher ^[4]. Chris is my nickname, you know. I want you to continue calling me Chris, alright, Ririina. Since my two elder brothers are excellent I am left to pretty much do what I want. This time your Grandparents were staying in my country, so when the talk about returning came up I had them bring me along.”

I did have a feeling, and it turned out he really was someone of very high standing.
Considering that he’s pretty light, isn’t he. ^[5]

But the western country is quite a bit larger compared to ours, isn’t it.
Why would the third Prince of such a country be comming to a place like this?

“Well, to put it briefly, the King of that nation is an aquaintance of mine, you see. Because of that relation he (Chris) came to our territory for recuperation in the past. We do have these special herbs that grow only here, after all.”

I understand why he came here in the past.
But even then why would he tag along my Grandparents and come here this time?
Just from looking at him he seemed healthy enough ..
Let’s just ask this as well.

“You do look healthy enough though, so why would you tag along Grandfather and Mother and come here this time?”

I tried throwing a straight pitch.

“Ah~ that is, I have come here to go on a treasure hunt.”

He threw back a curve ball.
Did we have something like treasures here? In our territory.
We do have swarms of swarms of monsters though ..
Hearing Chris-sama’s respone both Mother and Grandmother were smirking.
What is up those faces.
As for Grandfather.

“Ou, right, it’s a treasure indeed.”

Is what he said.
Mou, I can’t follow this.
That’s fine, that’s fine, everyone can just get excited together, that’s fine.
I once again began to invest myself in the cooking of the head chef.

Yes, the head chef’s  prepared dessert was superb today as well.

And although that appearance was once again being nikonikoed at by Chris-sama .. I splendidly ignored it.