Chapter 22: The Blind Prince
“Well then, I’ll be on my way. Hugh, I look forward to seeing you again.”
Princess Lucretia waved goodbye as she exited through the door I had just entered. At that moment, Roan stepped into the room.
“The princess left with her face all red. What did you do…?”
“It was Her Highness who did something.”
I never expected to receive a kiss on the cheek as a reward. I could have avoided it, but if I did, she would definitely sulk, so I had no choice but to accept it.
…Well, I had no reason to avoid it anyway.
“Anyway, let’s get to the main topic.”
“…So, you’re saying it wasn’t Princess Lucretia who called for me?”
“You’ve figured it out, haven’t you? Who really summoned you.”
“Well, I suppose I have…”
Princess Lucretia… It’s been a while, so I might as well just call her Rouge.
Rouge must have come up with the idea of setting up this meeting after seeing the letter addressed to me. She wanted to express her gratitude for my help and bestow a reward upon me. If that’s the case, then the original sender of the letter must be someone else.
“Excuse me.”
That person entered the room boldly with those words. He had long, lustrous, beautiful golden hair, just like Princess Lucretia. He was slightly shorter in stature, but his straight posture made him appear larger than life.
His features were exceptionally handsome, to the point that even I, a man, found myself captivated.
I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if he didn’t have that cloth covering his eyes.
“Oh, you don’t need to kneel. It just makes conversation difficult. I want to talk to you in a natural manner.”
“…It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Lucas.”
“Yes, nice to meet you. Please take care of me, Hugh Pnosis.”
…What is this guy?
As rumored, he shouldn’t be able to see. His eyes were covered by a thick, black cloth.
Yet, despite that, I found myself frozen in place, like a frog caught in a snake’s gaze.
It felt unsettling, as if every inch of me was being scrutinized, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
“Hmm. Let’s change locations. I forgot that this room doesn’t have a sofa. Follow me.”
Prince Lucas turned on his heel and exited the room.
“Let’s go, Hugh.”
“Ah, okay.”
I finally managed to take a step forward, prompted by Roan. What was that just now…? Was my sensitivity heightened due to the «Ninja» Skill?
We were led to the next room. It was similar to the previous one, but this time there was a sofa for receiving guests in addition to a desk. Prince Lucas sat on the sofa, while I took a seat opposite him.
Roan stood behind me, and Alissa stood behind the prince. They were positioned to strike at a moment’s notice. I had no intention of causing any trouble, but an odd tension enveloped the room.
“Let me introduce myself again. My name is Lucas von Reese. Please don’t be so tense, Hugh. I’m not going to eat you or anything. The two behind you are just here for precaution; I don’t intend to draw any swords.”
“Even so…”
“Then let’s have Alissa step back. Roan, stay behind me. This should ease the pressure a bit.”
At the prince’s command, Roan and Alissa complied silently. Alissa exited the room and took up a guard position by the door.
“Is this a bit better?”
“…Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness.”
“Not at all. This is nothing compared to the debt I owe you for saving my sister.”
“……”
That was quite a bold statement from the prince. Even with the cloth still wrapped around his eyes, I could sense that he was gauging my reaction now that he acknowledged Rouge and Lucretia were the same person.
“May I ask a question?”
“Go ahead. You don’t need to ask for permission for something like that. Let’s talk more casually.”
“…Then, if you don’t mind, why did your sister disguise herself as a boy to attend the Royal Academy?”
“That’s what caught your attention first, huh?”
There were countless things I wanted to ask. But first and foremost, why did Princess Lucretia disguise herself as Rouge to take the entrance exam for the academy? I couldn’t move forward without resolving that question.
“Are you prepared to hear the answer to that question?”
“I wasn’t until recently.”
“I see. Very well, the answer is straightforward: I’m seriously aiming for the throne.”
“Wh—what!? Your Highness!?”
Roan’s expression changed drastically. He clearly hadn’t expected the prince to be so candid here. While I had anticipated that answer, I never thought he would say it so easily.
I didn’t know the current state of the Succession War, but from what my father had briefly mentioned, Prince Lucas had been at a disadvantage compared to other candidates due to his visual impairment.
“Is it really okay to tell Hugh something like that?”
“Of course. Hugh, you had to have suspected it to some extent, right? A member of the royal family, Lucretia, disguised as a boy at the academy. It’s as if she’s trying to hide from something.”
“…Well, I tried not to think about it.”
If one wants to hide someone, they should do so among people. The Royal Academy is the perfect cover. It has a degree of independence and is an isolated space where many boys and girls of the same age live. If you change your hairstyle and gender and throw yourself in there, it would be quite a challenge to find you.
Though Lily has already figured it out…