Chapter 5: Do you want me to find you charming?
I already saw it when I arrived, but it really is amazing, isn’t it?
Fitting of a palace for the royal family, every inch of the castle’s interior was massive and extensively decorated. The royal family’s quarters, the servant’s quarters, etc., were separate from each other. The guest room Yuuri was staying in was located in the wing with the most rooms. Each room boasted a different design, so one would not grow tired of looking at them.
Among them was one whose interior was wholly inlaid with slabs of black marble adorned with gold and jewels like the night sky, and a magnificent room displaying a mural stretching from floor to ceiling that depicted various deities. Beyond them were libraries, an audience chamber, gardens, and even a greenhouse. Inside it, carefully nurtured rare plants from all over the world basked in the warm sunlight and sweet fragrances rose up from the beautiful flowers to greet their host.
Yulie had never seen such a luxurious, sophisticated, and majestic place as this.
As they walked around inside this castle that was so large she’d likely have gotten lost was she not being guided, Alex told her a little bit about Elegia.
Things like how the royal family frequently held balls which Alex was obligated to attend in order to search for a fiancée. Elegia’s annual Harvest Festival, famous throughout the continent, was soon to be held in the town below the castle.
Some of the culture Yulie already knew from reading the book, and there were things she didn’t. But even the things she had already heard were interesting.
And then, as she was being guided around, Yulie suddenly felt troubled.
I have no clue what kind of conversation they had.
In this scene that had been passed over forthrightly in the original story, she couldn’t handle running her mouth carelessly and making Alex suspicious. If he doesn’t like her, then the chances of returning to her own world dropped significantly.
But what should I say? I’ve just been acknowledging him as he’s talking this whole time, but isn’t that a little weird? I’ve been talking like I normally do up until now, but I should probably be talking more like a lady, right? Like the heroine…like the heroine? How did she talk?
Lost in thought, Yulie’s mind spun as she pondered over this and that. Yulie, being a prudent individual, wasn’t good at leaving things to chance.
“Yulie”
“Whaa?”
She inadvertently let out a dumb sound at the unexpected sound of her name. When she came back to her senses, she noticed they had arrived in a corridor overlooking the courtyard.
Looking up, she saw Alex looking at her with a worried expression.
“Why are you so silent? Are you tired?”
“Ah, no… sorr- I apologize.”
“Hm?”
“I was wondering if…. at such a late hour… to have Alex… your highness… do me the honor of being my guide, was too much of an… imposition?1”
Awkward! She really tried to speak more ladylike, but even she felt uncomfortable.
But if she thought about things going forward, she would have to get used to talking like this for now. Even though the 20-year-old man inside was screaming in embarrassment.
“Yulie…”
Alex stared at her fixedly, face tinted in astonishment.
“What’s wrong? Your manner of speaking changed so suddenly…”
“I-it’s a bit late now! But, I believe I was being too impudent towards your highness the Prince…”
“Hmm…but I really don’t mind though. I brought you along because I liked that about you.”
“Huh? …for real?”
“Yeah. It’s the first time anyone has ever spoken to me like that. It’s refreshing.”
Well, that’s to be expected. He’s the prince, after all. Everyone would speak to him with more respect. Yulie normally spoke respectfully to her elders, but after the consecutive absurdities of transmigrating and becoming a woman, she slipped up on addressing Alex respectfully at the time.
“But… it’s not very cute, is it?”
“Cute?”
“Like… feminine, girly.”
First of all, she had to get him to start seeing her as a woman. Since she knew his ideal type was the heroine, she had to strive for that demure and sweet impression she possessed.
However, at Yulie’s words, Alex blinked rapidly then gave an enchanting smile.
“Yulie, did you want me to find you charming?”
At those words and that smile, surprisingly, even her heart skipped a beat. Yulie’s face turned bright red.
“Tha-! You’re cr-crazy. No, that’s not what I mean.”
“It sounds like that, though?”
“Tha… it might sound like that, but it’s really isn’t like that.”
“Haha, not very upfront are you? Don’t worry though. You’re cute enough as you are now.”
“Shut it.”
Looking at Yulie who had promptly abandoned speaking like the heroine, Alex chuckled.
He really didn’t seem to mind the blatantly rude remark, rather, he seemed amused.
Ah, crap… I should have acted all cute and embarrassed there instead…
She cursed at the habit, from her time as a guy, of reflexively swearing whenever she was called ‘cute’.
It seems like it’s going to take a lot of effort to fully become the heroine of this world. Yulie was at her wit’s end.
Meanwhile, she was guided to the stables at the rear of the castle.
The place was packed with many knights, having just returned or about to set out. As soon as they saw the prince, they all stopped and bowed.
When they saw Alex, two knights who had been chatting straightened up, stiffened their faces and took on an intimidating air.
He really is a prince, eh.
Somehow, at that slight change, she finally felt it. For an inherited role, he wasn’t just a prince in name only. He truly was a man that stood above others. It was natural for one such as him to have burly knights dignifiedly stand before him in attendance.
With this, the fact that she would have to make this unimaginably authoritative man fall for her was really brought home.
“Pay us no mind. As you were,” Alex, in a tone slightly stiffer than how he had been speaking to Yulie, declared. He then approached a dark brown horse that was grazing outside and began to pet it affectionately.
“Do you ride?”
“I’ve never ridden before.”
On the contrary, this was the first time she’d ever approached a creature as large as this so closely. And unbridled, no less. The sense of power and vitality that flowed from its entire body and its grand size intimidated her.
“I see. Are you scared?”
“I-I’m fine… I’m not really familiar with it, so I don’t really know what to do is all.”
That was a lie. Truthfully, she could watch from afar at the most. She didn’t think she’d be able to go as close as Alex.
As if sensing her inner thoughts, Alex’s eyes crinckled in laughter. “I see,” he chuckled.
At that moment, a different knight appeared from the back of the stable.
Upon seeing Alex, the knight immediately straightened his stance, but, when he spotted Yulie he suddenly let out a gasp.
“A-AIKA…?!”
Translator’s Notes: