Ch.14 Preparation before the meeting
In the country where Phil and others live – the Kingdom of Lilac, there are three girls who are of royal blood.
One excels in martial arts, one in charisma, and one in intelligence. Since their childhood, they have been educated to support the future prince who will lead the country, and they have shown their respective talents.
Therefore, the people of Lilac have no doubt about the phrase ‘secure future’.
I heard that there is no bloody talk of succession struggles, and all three of them are very close.
This seems to further support the stability of the country as a source of reassurance for the people. If there is trouble at the top, people at the bottom become uneasy.
The unchanging everyday life of peace may be threatened – but as long as there is no spark, everyone will gladly support the royal family like a festival.
It is precisely because they are supported that the reputation of the royal family is very good.
Everyone is loved and respected. If such a person were to appear before you, how would you feel?
You would feel delighted and would go around boasting to your acquaintances and family.
However, Phil Salemabert-
“Alright, Milis-sama… let’s go outside now.”
「But the princess is here!?」
He was trying to sneak away.
“Excuse me, Milis-sama? I’ve already mentioned this before, but I don’t want to be known as the ‘Shadow Hero’ due to unavoidable circumstances.”
「 don’t know the reason… but I heard you!」
“If Nicola-sama came to meet me, it’s most likely related to the ‘Shadow Hero’. She’ll probably try to dig deep, force me to speak, and push me to the brink, and eventually bring me to the royal castle.”
「Is it because Phil ignored the letter?」
“That possibility can’t be completely ruled out.”
In front of the entrance to the guest room where Milis was initially led, the three of them crouched down and discussed.
There was not a single servant-like figure around them. In other words, the servants seemed to believe that Phil was entertaining their guests.
In reality, they were discussing how to pass the time without getting involved.
“If Milis-sama accompanies us, we have a righteous cause! We can easily make an excuse that the Saintess is busy entertaining guests and turn them away with a snap of a finger!!!”
「But what if they say they’ll wait…? What do we do then…?」
“…Sob..Sob”
「Waah, w-wait! I’m sorry, Phil-sama! I didn’t mean to make you cry!」
“Phil’s mental state is as fragile as tofu. Maybe you should go to a blacksmith and get your mind hardened.”
Indeed, if the second princess says “I’ll wait,” Phil will be at a loss.
Even though the Holy Maiden is busy with hospitality, it’s obvious to anyone that she can spare a day.
If he still says “I’m busy,” he will inevitably be thought of as “not wanting to meet her?”
If that happens, Phil will be seen as being disrespectful to the royal family.
“That’s right, they probably already think that since you didn’t reply to the letter.”
“No, that’s not it, Kahlua. It’s not that I didn’t write back, I was just too busy trying to protect Milis-sama. I’m not the type of guy who’s good at multitasking.”
“Yeah yeah, stop making excuses and just give up already.”
“No way! I’ll live freely!”
“Gross.”
“A straight insult as straight as the horizon. My heart sank with the ship.”
Despite the fact that he’s supposed to be sinking, Phil shrugged his shoulders and remained nonchalant. He appeared to have more composure than expected.
“Well, I understand that you can’t escape… Then let’s do our best to deceive they as per the original plan! If this continues, we’ll end up becoming the royal family’s masochistic workhorses.”
“What exactly are you going to do?”
“I’ll seek Milis-sama’s help. Specifically, we’ll follow the plan where Milis claims ‘I believed Phil to be the Shadow Hero, but it was a mistake.'”
One of the main reasons why the rumors are now gaining credibility is the “encouragement of the saint.
Since the saint went to the trouble of coming to see [Someone], there is no doubt about it—that is how the rumor spread, and Nicola probably heard it and came to confirm it, but what if there is a crack in the credibility of the rumor?
They can’t believe that the pure saint would lie.
That’s why they would end up believing what they actually hear.
If Millis were to say it was untrue, the royal family would recognize that Phil is not the ‘Hero of Shadow’ and lose interest.
「Although I don’t want to lie… It’s Phil-sama’s request! I will do my best to repay the favor for helping me despite causing trouble!」
“Thank you very much, Milis-sama. However, please don’t worry about causing trouble or repaying any favors… It’s me who asked for your help, so if anything, I should be the one thanking you.”
「B-but…!」
“Besides, I’m not doing anything to make a girl feel obligated to thank me. In fact, it’s a man’s duty to give something in return—whether it’s a favor, a thank you, or even freedom.”
While giving a reassuring smile, Phil strokes Millis’ head.
Millis, who was about to say something, was frozen with her mouth open by the boy’s words.
「Phil-sama…」
Looking up at the boy with a gaze from under her eyes, her cheeks faintly colored.
Watching that scene, Kahlua—
“This is why… Phil, you should control yourself a little better.”
She let out a big sigh with a mixture of envy and a hint of jealousy.
Although she was closer to him than anyone else, it didn’t feel good to see his kindness directed towards someone else.
As long as this playboy remained as he was, she had no room for composure in her position.
「Then, um…if that’s the case, would you please go out with me somewhere next time?」
“It’s no problem at all, Miss.”
With that, Phil slowly stood up, lifting his heavy waist.
“Kahlua, do you know Nicola-sama?”
“Well, we were close in age and had a good relationship to some extent.”
“Do you remember what kind of person she was?”
“She was, as rumored, a person with excellent knowledge and strategies. She seemed to have no gaps or weaknesses.”
“I see… Then, if things get dangerous, I’ll rely on your support.”
“…One knee pillow.”
“I’ll do that tonight or something. Think about what you want later.”
While calming down sulking Kahlua, Phil put his hand on the door of the guest room.
And then—-
“Hoping we can cover this up without a hitch!”
With such a wish, he opened the door wide.
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