Adjustment period (not really) (Part 2)

“Lucia.”

“Hmm?” The blue-haired maid tilted her head, looking at her Prince.

“I don’t seem to be very good at getting along with girls.”

The poor Prince of Britannia had begun to doubt herself ever since meeting Fubai.

“How could that be? Oh, I understand now. Did you and Princess Fubai have a spat the first time you met?”

The Prince of Britannia didn’t answer directly, only displaying a look of indignation.

‘After all, being reduced to tears by my fiancée on our first meeting is far too humiliating.’

“You didn’t see how utterly terrified she looked when she heard I was her fiancé! As if I was going to devour her whole! Hmph, just how unwilling is she, anyway?”

“Perhaps she’s just a tsundere?”

“Tsundere?”

“Exactly. You just need a bit more patience with her. Think about it: the Emperor has so many sons, yet only one daughter. She’s undoubtedly doted on as the apple of his eye, so her personality would naturally be… well, emmm.”

“It’s not as if I wasn’t mentally prepared for what you’re saying.” She sighed, her voice heavy with dejection. “But the first impression I made on her must be completely ruined now…”

“Even if the first impression is ruined, you can slowly build up her favor later on! Let her discover your shining qualities, Your Royal Highness, after all, you’re incredibly strong!”

“What good is strength now? The world has been at peace ever since the Emperor of the Frankish Empire united the Six Races.”

“Your Royal Highness, Britannia’s number one!” Lucia exclaimed, her voice cracking slightly.

“Alright, alright…”

“Come on! Show her your tough side! If you don’t assert yourself now, she’ll walk all over you after you’re married!”

“Is that even a question? Of course, I’ll be the dominant one over her!” she declared righteously.

“Oh, by the way, I have a question. Am I going to be this short my entire life?”

‘Just listen to that,’ Lucia thought. ‘Even though she immediately retorted, she’s clearly still bothered by it deep down.’

“Of course not! Just drink more milk regularly.”

Luo Bing’ai’er, the cute rabbit-eared Maid Chief, stumbled into my bedroom, clutching a parchment scroll nearly as tall as herself.

“Your Royal Highness, the world map you requested—Ah!”

She tripped right in front of me, and the map, flying from her grasp, unfurled perfectly across the tabletop.

“Are you alright!?” I immediately rushed over, intending to help her up.

“N-no, I’m fine!” She smiled at me.

‘I hadn’t noticed she was so clumsy during the day,’ I mused.

“In any case, I’ve brought you the world map.”

“Thank you, big sister.”

She looked at me, a surprised expression on her face. “…What did you just call me?”

“Big sister. Is there something wrong with me calling you that, given our ages?”

“Please… I am merely a maid now, and you are the esteemed Princess of the Frankish Empire. You absolutely mustn’t call me that.”

‘Now?’ I wondered. ‘What was she before?’

I was utterly bewildered.

“Your Royal Highness, weren’t you going to look at the map?”

“Oh, right, right!”

And so, we both leaned in closer to the map.

“As expected of a world map, it looks enormous,” I exclaimed.

“Indeed it does.”

“Where is my Imperial Father’s empire?”

“Almost everything you can see on this map.”

I stared blankly. “Th-that vast?”

“After all, he united the Six Races. Surely you realize now how great your Imperial Father is? This is the empire he conquered.”

“From your tone, it sounds like you admire him greatly?”

“Don’t you admire your Imperial Father?”

‘Listen to how matter-of-fact her tone is,’ I thought. ‘Could this big sister with the rabbit ears be someone my father specially sent to sugarcoat his image? To prevent me, a child lacking companionship, from hating him too much?’

“Hmph, then what exactly do you admire about him?” I retorted.

She smiled, extending a single finger. “Your Imperial Father can make someone explode into a thousand pieces with just a blink of an eye.”

I was speechless.